Definition:

(noun) A bird's wing. The term pinion can refer to the complete wing, including skeletal structure, musculature and feathers, or it may refer just to the primary flight feathers. Alone, single flight feathers may be referred to as individual pinions, but the entire wing is considered one pinion when referred to as a single structure. Birders often use wings as a way to help identify birds, and knowing the parts of a wing and general bird wing anatomy as well as different wing shapes and positions can help with bird identification, particularly identifying birds in flight.


(verb) The process of removing the outermost joint of a bird's wing and its primary feathers in order to prevent flight, a procedure common with domestic waterfowl and poultry. Pinioning is not often done to pet birds such as doves, finches or parrots, as these smaller birds can simply have their primary feathers clipped after each molt to minimize flight, without damage to the wing itself. Though pinioning is sometimes considered analogous to docking a dog's tail, the procedure is often carried out without any pain relief and is considered animal cruelty by some definitions. Restrictions on pinioning are growing, such as requiring the process to be carried out by an experienced veterinarian or prohibiting it altogether as birds reach maturity.

Pronunciation:

PIHN-yun or PIHN-yihn, PIHN-yun-eeeng or PIHN-yihn-eeeng

Also Known As:

Wing

Photo – Gull © NBphotostream